Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

A Major Break in a Serial Shooter Case in Phoenix; Israel's Military Striking Deeper into Lebanon

Aired August 04, 2006 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A major break in a serial shooter case in Phoenix this morning. We're waiting for a news conference from there. We'll bring it to you when it happens.
And Israel's military striking deeper into Lebanon, now targeting Beirut's northern suburbs.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Cuba's Fidel Castro the subject of so much speculation this week. This morning only on CNN, a rare interview with his daughter, Alina.

O'BRIEN: Another major blow for Ford. Fears over engine fires lead to a big recall. We'll tell you what you need to know.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The agents had gone inside the house. They were concerned that the person they wanted would try to run. But once they got to the door, a lot of them set up a perimeter out back. The others inside were hearing a lot of noise. We don't know exactly what's going on.

SANCHEZ: Flushing out dangerous fugitives. CNN's Debra Feyerick takes you inside with the agents of Operation Rolling Thunder.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And finally a break from the heat. Marquette, 57 right now; Detroit, 66; D.C. not so fast; Virginia Beach a hot day today.

We'll update the forecast coming up on this AMERICAN MORNING.

O'BRIEN: Thank you, Chad.

We'll get to that in just a moment.

First, though, we want to welcome you back.

I'm Soledad O'Brien.

SANCHEZ: And I'm Rick Sanchez sitting in for Miles O'Brien.

Developing news out of Phoenix this morning. Police there saying they've gotten a major break in an ongoing investigation. Now, that investigation into a series of shootings that may involve one or two different people doing two different types of serial shootings or killings that have put the city of Phoenix, as you might imagine, on edge.

Chris Sign of our affiliate KNXV has the story.

CHRIS SIGN, KNXV CORRESPONDENT: They're talking about this serial shooting. That's what he's been dubbed here in Phoenix. This serial shooting could actually be two people. Phoenix police have been saying that all along, it could be one or more people using different cars, firing from a car.

Now, that serial shooting is tied to 36 different shootings, including six murders dating back to August of last year. Then -- let me go ahead and put this on a clipboard for you.

This is the man they're calling the Baseline Rapist. This is a sketch Phoenix police have been putting out since May of last year.

Now, this person is tied to 23 vicious crimes, including eight murders. This is the person that has not been captured. The second person is still on the loose.

Now, as for the serial shooting that we're discussing this morning, there could be a significant break in the case, Rick, because this morning around midnight, Phoenix time, Phoenix and Mesa SWAT teams surrounded a Mesa apartment complex and then took two men into custody for questioning.

At this point -- or what my sources are telling me -- those two men are behind me in Phoenix police headquarters being questioned by detectives at this point. Police aren't calling them suspects. My sources are telling me, at this point, that they have not been arrested and that they are not suspects, but they are confirming that they are wanted for questioning involving the serial shooting cases -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Now, these are the fellows that police say would go around in their cars and shoot at literally strangers, correct?

SIGN: Yes, you're exactly right. You know, dating back to last year, as I mentioned, they started in what we call "The Valley, "The West Valley," meaning the far west portions of Phoenix. They started off at that point in time shooting animals and have since graduated, for lack of a better term, to targeting people.

Police believe that this serial shooting is firing from a moving car and may actually be changing cars at the time.

Now, as for the two people in custody, we're not really sure what led police to them. It's our understanding at this point, according to my sources, that maybe a beat cop saw a suspicious car or maybe even saw the car that they had been looking for, followed the car to a Mesa apartment complex and that's when the Serial Killer Task Force, a task force consisting of more than 200 detectives assigned exclusively to these two serial killer cases, went ahead and went after that apartment complex then took two people in custody.

O'BRIEN: Let's move to the Middle East now, where Israeli warplanes are pounding Beirut again. They have shifted some of those attacks, though, to parts of the city that generally aren't associated with Hezbollah.

CNN's Beirut bureau chief, Brent Sadler, joins us live this morning -- good morning, again.

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

Israel has delivered on a threat to widen the air campaign against Lebanon. Israeli jets, early this morning, just after dawn local time here in Lebanon, attacking a series of bridges along a vital coastal highway connecting the Lebanese capital, Beirut, with Lebanon's northern border with Syria.

This was the last high speed highway route letting people come in and out of the city. That now lies in ruins after one of the main bridge spans crossing a deep and wide gulley was totally collapsed by one of those strike runs against this coastal highway.

Yes, Lebanese can still move between the center of the country and north, but along much slower detours and byways. That makes travel much more complicated and slower, and it also will have an impact on humanitarian supplies getting into this country as a result of these strikes.

This is also, Soledad, in the Christian heartland. And there are really many Christians asking, wanting to know why Israel has struck their community with this infrastructural damage at this time, because up until now, Christians have been on the sidelines, watching the Shia Muslims of the southern suburbs and the south of the country bearing the brunt of Israel's air strikes. Now, their area, they believe, has been targeted as an attempt to try to divide the country to make it unstable, to put more pressure on Hezbollah to stop their rocket firing against Israel -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Brent Sadler for us.

He's in Beirut this morning.

Thanks -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, one person killed this morning in the latest volley of rockets into northern Israel. About 40 Katyushas -- those are the rockets that have been fired by Hezbollah -- have been hitting there, putting it at a total of about 500 just in the past three days, we understand.

CNN's Paula Hancocks is joining us now live.

She's following the story from Haifa with the very latest -- good morning again, Paula.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Rick.

Well, the casualty count is going up. We know that two more Israeli soldiers have been killed in fierce fighting in Southern Lebanon. We understand they were operating in the area of Markaba. Two soldiers killed, one officer seriously injured when Hezbollah fighters launched an anti-tank missile at the force.

And we also know that the casualty toll for civilians in northern Israel is also rising. One person has been killed in the latest barrage of rockets. We understand from the Israeli military and the police that around 40 fell in just the last half hour.

We're hearing air raid sirens over the past few minutes just across the bay, further north, in Acre and near those areas.

Now, we know that one has been seriously injured in Tiberius and also one seriously injured in Kiryat Shmona, one area that is constantly hit by these rockets.

And we can see that the police themselves do believe they know where these rockets originated from.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICKY ROSENFELD, ISRAELI POLICE SPOKESMAN: The latest rocket which landed, a week which we weren't familiar with until today -- it's, in fact, a Syrian rocket. A 302 rocket is the exact number of it. And the rocket itself had approximately 100 kilos of a warhead. Seven of those rockets have landed inside Israel until today. And, obviously, as we know, the amount of damage and destruction that this type of rocket can cause if it lands inside a city, the destruction and devastation and the number of people that would be killed would be huge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: So the death toll in Israel has risen to 71 civilians and soldiers. And we also know that Thursday was one of the deadliest days in Israel itself. We know that in Acre, just across the bay, five people were killed. That was after a barrage of rockets fell. But then after the sirens stopped, many people came out of their homes and out of their bomb shelters to see what has happened and then one more rocket hit.

And, also, three Arab Bedouins were killed near the area of Maalot, which is just about five miles south of the Lebanese border.

So the past three days really have been very deadly when we come to talk about these rockets. And, also, at this time, Israeli politicians are saying they are dealing Hezbollah a heavy blow. Hezbollah is proving they still are more than capable of hurting Israel -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: You know, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah made a statement yesterday where he offered to stop firing rockets into Israel if Israel would stop firing missiles into Lebanon.

Has there been any reaction at all from the Israelis on this offer from this purported statement yesterday -- Paula?

HANCOCKS: Well, it was interesting when I was in Acre late in the afternoon on Thursday, just after the rocket attack. Many people I was speaking to, even those who had been very close by to the point of impact of this rocket and who lived in that neighborhood, they were clearly traumatized. But they still said that they believe this military operation should continue.

They don't want the military to poof Lebanon. They said they wanted to make sure that this time around any future threat to the northern border was going to be absolutely destroyed, so they wouldn't be in this same situation in a few months or years time -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: So it sounds like the people are saying it really doesn't matter what Hezbollah says at this point, we've got an operation and we're going to try and complete it.

HANCOCKS: Exactly. No one really listens to what Nasrallah says here. They don't particularly believe him if he says that he's going to stop the rockets. And over the past three weeks, we've seen a tremendous amount of rockets. You can understand why they wouldn't believe him.

But they really are fully supporting the political system and also the military. Of course, there are those that are saying that both sides have to stop firing. But the majority are saying they want the military to get the job done properly this time.

SANCHEZ: Paula Hancocks following that story for us from Haifa.

We thank you.

Meanwhile, the U.S. may be inching toward a compromise on how to end the Middle East crisis. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed support yesterday for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon. Rice predicted the U.N. Security Council resolution would be approved within days and it would include a cease-fire as the first step toward a lasting peace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: We're certainly getting close. We're working with the French very closely. We're working with others. We've wanted, very much, to see an end to this conflict. We need to end the hostilities in a way, though, that points forward a direction for a sustainable peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: That is different, because up until now, the Bush administration had been insisting that a cease-fire and steps to create that peace be worked out between the groups simultaneously.

O'BRIEN: Hezbollah is getting a big show of support from Shiite Muslims in Baghdad. A rally today in Shiite-dominated Sadr City drew tens of thousands of people. Many in the crowd were carrying the yellow flag of Hezbollah.

For details, let's get right to CNN's Harris Whitbeck.

He is in Baghdad this morning -- hey, Harris.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Soledad, radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on tens of thousands of his supporters from all over the country to converge on Baghdad. They met in Sadr City, which is virtually in control by Sadr, al-Sadr's militiamen. And they were out there for quite some time. They were waving yellow Hezbollah flags. They were burning Israeli flags. And they were showing posters of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Many of those who were out there protesting were shrouded in white cloths, signifying their willingness to die for their cause.

The area where the rally took place was heavily guarded by members of Al-Sadr's militia. There were also members of the Iraqi police force out there to prevent any sort of attack by opposing groups. As you know, there are many different religious and sectarian groups operating in Baghdad and that has been, in part, a cause for the violence that we've seen, particularly in the Iraqi capital, over the last several months.

However, there has been more violence in Mosul today. That's about 400 kilometers north of Baghdad. Mosul normally a very diverse city. And there have been attacks there against the local police. A local police commander was killed. There was also an attempt, a suicide bombing attempt on a sports field where a group of people were playing volleyball. And there were some local policemen were killed when that attack took place -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Harris Whitbeck for us this morning with what's happening in Baghdad.

Thanks, Harris -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Well, Iraq is topic number one on Capitol Hill. The Pentagon's top commanders say that the country may stand on the brink of civil war. And once again Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is taking criticism for his handling of Iraq.

Live now to CNN Congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, following the story for us -- interesting observations, I would say, yesterday at the hearing, were there not, Dana?

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No question about it. You know, usually when we hear from the top military commanders, talking about Iraq, they take pains to talk up the progress there. And that's what made the hearing yesterday and the way they discussed, in the very grim and sobering way, the deteriorating situation in Iraq, it made it so compelling, and, frankly, surprising.

Take a listen to General John Abizaid, the U.S. military commander in the Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: I believe that the sectarian violence is probably as bad as I've seen it, in Baghdad in particular, and that if not stopped, it's possible that Iraq could move toward civil war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, both General Abizaid and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs, Peter Pace, tried to make clear that they do not think that that is going to happen soon, or at least they think they can stop the slide into civil war.

But in one of the more dramatic moments, they also both admitted that they could not have anticipated it getting this bad even a year ago. So it left both of them making it pretty clear that the thing that Americans are most interested in hearing from them -- when U.S. troops possibly going to come home -- that's not going to happen any time soon -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Hey, Dana, set up, if you would, this exchange that took place yesterday between Senator Hillary Clinton and Secretary Rumsfeld.

BASH: You know, Senator Clinton was one of the most vocal in demanding that Secretary Rumsfeld even come to this hearing yesterday. He had said no initially. And she certainly was the most aggressive in her questioning of him, saying that he has painted a rosy picture of Iraq in the past. And it did make for quite a testy exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: I think it's fair to say that that collective common sense overwhelmingly does not either understand or approve of the way you and the administration are handling Iraq and Afghanistan.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Are there setbacks? Yes. Are there things that people can't anticipate? Yes. Does the enemy have a brain and continue to make adjustments on the ground, requiring our forces to continue to make adjustments? You bet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, after the hearing, Senator Clinton called for the Secretary's resignation. It's the first time that she has done that. But this is just sort of the latest in a rather lengthy list of lawmakers, and even retired generals, who have said it's time for Rumsfeld to go.

But it is significant, and here's why, Rick. I know you're not going to be surprised. It has to do with politics. The Democratic Party, at least the base, has made opposition to Iraq really a litmus test. And we're seeing that even in the State of Connecticut, where Senator Joe Lieberman is running in a primary where he could lose on the issue of his support for Iraq.

So Senator Clinton voted for the war. She does not regret that publicly and, in fact, she stands by that. So being aggressive against Secretary Rumsfeld and the administration in terms of the way that they conducted the war is pretty crucial for her politically, especially since -- she won't admit it, but many think that she could be the frontrunner in 2008.

SANCHEZ: Thank you for the observation.

Dana Bash following the story for us there on Capitol Hill -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, a personal look at the Cuban president, Fidel Castro. His daughter talks to CNN about her father, his sudden illness and just what it means to be a Castro.

SANCHEZ: They've got counselors and singing and lots of smiles. But this is not your typical summer camp. These Lebanese children are refugees taking shelter in an unlikely place.

Also this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How often is it that people just lie, try to --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the time, for whatever reason -- kids, mothers, fathers, you know, they don't want to give up their own family members.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: CNN's Debra Feyerick takes us on an operation to hunt down dangerous fugitives.

We'll take a look at that those stories and much more ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: For nearly half a century, the name Fidel Castro has been synonymous with Cuba. But his recent health failing has made things a little bit different.

Though details are a state secret, according to the Cuban government, many Cubans in Miami have been very vocal about Fidel Castro, some wishing he would pass, blatantly.

But there's another side to Fidel Castro, perhaps a side that only his family can understand.

Joining us now is a member of Fidel Castro's family, his daughter, Alina Fernandez, an interview you'll see only on CNN.

Alina is our new CNN contributor, we're happy to report.

She's also, we should say, a host of a daily radio show at WQBA, a Univision station in Miami where, by the way, we were once colleagues -- Alina, good to see you.

Thanks so much for being with us. ALINA FERNANDEZ, FIDEL CASTRO'S DAUGHTER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Good to see you, too, Rick.

How are you?

SANCHEZ: What can you tell us or what have you heard or what do you know about your father's condition?

FERNANDEZ: Well, actually, I know what the members of the family have said. For now, I mean Juanita, his sister, one of his sons -- they are in Spain -- they said that he is out of danger. Because, you know, trying to find information inside the country is very difficult.

SANCHEZ: But he did suffer some type of intestinal, as it's being reported by them, some type of intestinal rupture or bleeding problem that has caused him to have a serious surgery, correct?

FERNANDEZ: that's what happened. That's the official version. And that happened also in the early '60s. He's had the same problem.

SANCHEZ: Most people don't know about that.

So he actually had a bleeding condition in the same area in the 1960s?

FERNANDEZ: Yes.

SANCHEZ: When was the last time that you spoke with your father?

FERNANDEZ: Oh, Rick, it's been like 20 something years ago. You know, when you -- you are in another side of the ideology, that makes -- make you break the relationship in the family.

SANCHEZ: I want you to listen to something. And I know you probably have had a lot of feelings this week as you've been watching these celebrations in Little Havana. But there's been some things that have been said. We have played some of them, and the media in general.

Take a listen to this comment that was made in one of our newscasts from one of our reporters in South Florida.

And then I'd like to get your reaction on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're starting to celebrate because Cuba is going to be free. We've been in this for 50 years almost and I hope to pray to god that that bastard is dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Those are strong words. And then to watch people dancing in the streets joyful at the fact that your father may soon pass, how does that make you feel? FERNANDEZ: Really, you know, I can live in a double emotional standard. I love my community. I live in this community. I understand it. I won't criticize it. But there's no doubt that it's not the type of celebration I will take part of it.

SANCHEZ: Are you uncomfortable with hearing someone say something like that about your father, even if you admit that his policies have not been right?

FERNANDEZ: Let's say that I'm used to it.

SANCHEZ: People would want to know -- this is one of the most famous men in the entire world.

What was it like growing up being the daughter of Fidel Castro?

FERNANDEZ: It was a heavy load, you know? At the beginning, it was kind of a good sensation. He was like a national hero. Then you grow up and people tried to, in a different way, in a different way, they were always expecting something from you, to be the best. It's kind of difficult. It's a big, huge shadow in Cuba.

SANCHEZ: Did you live a life of almost royalty as a result?

FERNANDEZ: Not exactly. I mean, royalty in Cuba is very subtle. You have certain rights and privileges, but you are not showing it off.

SANCHEZ: I imagine there was a lot of state security around you, as well.

FERNANDEZ: A lot of what, Rick?

SANCHEZ: Security, a lot of people around that were taking care of you at all times, making sure nothing happened to you?

FERNANDEZ: Well, I didn't have straight bodyguards. But I can tell you that the system for the personal security of Castro is very tight. And when you are in his surroundings, you are watched 24 hours -- for 24 hours.

SANCHEZ: We see and think of Fidel Castro wearing those green army fatigues.

Did he always wear those?

FERNANDEZ: Always. Always.

And that story about the vest under is not true.

SANCHEZ: It's not true?

FERNANDEZ: It is not true.

SANCHEZ: That he didn't need to have -- but did you ever see him in walking shorts, slippers, looking like anybody else's dad would be described?

FERNANDEZ: At the beach, yes.

SANCHEZ: He would? You'd see him in those conditions?

FERNANDEZ: Not in his pajamas, never.

SANCHEZ: But you never saw -- how was he as a father?

FERNANDEZ: Well, how are you as a child? That's the question. I remember him, at least the first years of my life, I remember a tender person who used to play childhood games with me. I have tender memories of him at the beginning.

Then I started to grow up and it started to make a difference.

SANCHEZ: Why did you leave? Here you're -- your father of one of the most famous men, the leader of a country, and you decide on your own volition to leave, to literally sneak out of the country? Why?

FERNANDEZ: Well, I had to escape. I was trying to leave the country for years. Since 1999, it's been very well known, I mean, by the media, that I was on the dissident side. And in 1993, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the situation in Cuba, the daily life was unbearable. And I decided that I had to leave in order to take my daughter out from the country.

SANCHEZ: You were -- at what point did you decide I don't want to live in this country anymore?

FERNANDEZ: I think I felt uncomfortable and un-adapted since I was a very young woman, since I was in my teens.

SANCHEZ: Was it political? Was it something your father's government was doing that made you uncomfortable?

FERNANDEZ: You become political later. At that point, when I was 13, 14 years old, I understood that we were doing the same thing. We spent all the time criticizing the United States, for example, of been doing. That means intervening in another country, decimating people in foreign wars. That was my feeling. And that's what made me, you know, make a difference.

SANCHEZ: Yes, the reports -- and a lot of people, some have read and -- that there were dealings with Lebanon, for example; Syria; Congo.

FERNANDEZ: Yes. Since the '60s. I mean, not a year of the triumph of the revolution had passed, we had already Che Guevara in Congo. We had Raul traveling to the Middle East. We've been in whole Latin America, all the guerrilla war movements started in the '60s.

SANCHEZ: You just mentioned Raul. He's your uncle.

FERNANDEZ: He is. SANCHEZ: We haven't seen him, but we understand he could end up being -- if your father's health worsens -- the permanent leader of Cuba.

What kind of a leader do you think he'll be?

FERNANDEZ: I don't think -- he pretends to be a leader, but he has the strongest institution backing him in Cuba, which is the army.

SANCHEZ: It sounds like you're giving more credit to the institution than to the man.

FERNANDEZ: It might be, but he organized it.

SANCHEZ: Really?

FERNANDEZ: Almost 50 years ago, yes.

SANCHEZ: But he's not your father? He is no Fidel?

FERNANDEZ: He is not Fidel. There's no doubt about it. I don't think he pretends to be. So let's see what happens now. It's a very critical point in Cuba.

SANCHEZ: Alina Fernandez, thanks so much, my friend, for taking the time to talk to us. We certainly appreciate the conversation. We certainly appreciate the insight that you've given us, as well.

Our new CNN contributor in Miami.

Thanks again.

FERNANDEZ: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Appreciate it.

Soledad -- over to you.

O'BRIEN: Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, we're going to share a dirty little secret about your cell phone -- literally, a dirty secret. You might want to listen and find out what we're telling you.

Also, a big recall from Ford to tell you about. It involves more than a million trucks and SUVs. We'll explain the problem and tell you which models are at risk.

That's ahead.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com